Source anti-angiogenic compounds from functional foods.

Angiogenesis, or neovascularization, involves the formation and growth of new blood vessels which work as conduits to supply blood and nutrients to and remove metabolic wastes from living tissues. Keeping certain blood vessels, such as those found in tumors, from growing and bringing nutrients to these sites may help kill the cancer or inhibit its growth.

There has been a growing interest in angiogenesis as a target for degenerative disease prevention or therapy. Researchers have realized that angiogenesis, in addition to cancer, is involved in many inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes retinopathy and nephropathy, and is pivotal for the spread of more than 80 chronic degenerative diseases.

Data from animal models and cell cultures show that angiogenesis can be inhibited by naturally occurring physiologically active compounds. Increasing numbers of researchers are investigating purified naturally occurring bioactive compounds--peptides, carbohydrates, lipids and the like--mostly present in raw food products and food consumed by some cultures, as potential anti-angiogenic ingredients.

Scientists at Louisiana State University have demonstrated the in-vitro inhibitory activity of the Bowman-Birk inhibitor from soybean and rice, ellagic acid from grapes, black bean tannins, thymoquinone from black seeds, purpurin, and phytic from cereals and legumes against angiogenesis stimulators such as the matrix metalloproteinase-1, -2, and -9, and cancer cell proliferation.

Many inhibitors of angiogenesis are being isolated from functional foods. Data from cell cultures and animal models show that these compounds can be safe and effective reversible inhibitors. They would be best ingested appropriately over one's life span. They would not cause severe toxicity and would be amenable to clinical trials and possibly become a low-budget prescription for health.

Researchers have found several enzymes that catalyze the process of angiogenesis. It appears that inhibiting the function of these enzymes would be the major molecular basis of anti-angiogenic functional foods. Since angiogenesis is an onfocal process, inhibition of angiogenesis should not disrupt natural processes. Data from animal models and cell cultures suggest that a chronic non-toxic dose of anti-angiogenic compounds may prevent degenerative disease in its early stage. Since these bioactive compounds are the essence of functional foods, designing anti-angiogenic functional foods is very appropriate.

Further information. Jack Losso, Department of Food Science, Louisiana State University, 111 Food Science Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].